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Tachyglossus aculeatus
Along with the platypus, echidnas are monotremes. Both lay eggs and express milk for their young. They are considered the most primitive of the mammals.
Ubiquitous in Australia.
Cradle Mountain National Park, Tasmania.
Spotted on Feb 21, 2005
Submitted on Mar 22, 2011
3 Comments
wow Lori.tas great spotting,thanks for sharing
And just to make monotremes even more "out there", platypus males have long spikes on the inside of their back legs which can deliver a very painful venom - and that makes them the only venomous mammal.
Monotremes, fascinating. I just learned something new.